Oratorio surveying the history of Sundown Towns and efforts to overcome division, with a libretto by Richard Wesley
Mixed chorus, SATB soloists, small orchestra / 90 min.
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Program Note
Don’t Let the Sun tells the story of “sundown towns” where residents drove out or actively excluded specific groups rom residing there (from being in town after sunset) through ordinances, signs, and acts of violence. Sundown towns excluded Black people, and in some cases, Chinese Americans, Jewish people, Native Americans, Latinas/os and other racialized groups. Since the 19th century these towns have been prevalent throughout the U.S. and especially in the Midwest, West, and East.
Richard Wesley’s text is inspired by the voices of individuals impacted by sundown towns and more recent policies, examining the harm experienced by both the excluded and the excluders; and by recent efforts by many sundown towns to reckon with their past and shape a better future. The work unfolds in 21 scenes across five sections: Sundown Towns, Reconstruction, Migrations, Home, and A New Day. It is bookended by the contrasting stories of two Midwest towns: how one went sundown early in the 20th century; and how another recently overcame its sundown history by acknowledging, apologizing, and changing.
Don’t Let the Sun was inspired by Sundown Towns by James W. Loewen, published by the New Press. It was commissioned by the University of Michigan, and is published by Subito Music Corp.
